Commitment vs. Excitement in Network Marketing

Today’s post is about the difference between commitment and excitement in network marketing.

I’ve been in our industry a long time now and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Many of these folks who quit started out really excited, only to fizzle out a few hours, days or weeks later, never to be heard from again. In fact, many of these folks are still hiding in the Witness Protection Program.

The people who eventually succeed in our industry are the people who can COMMIT to one company until successful. Being excited and enthusiastic definitely helps, but it is not a requirement for success.

If I had to choose between sponsoring someone who was excited or sponsoring someone who will commit to their business, I will always choose the committed person.

My Thoughts on Excitement

Excitement is “a feeling of great excitement and eagerness.” It is a temporary feeling that is not constant. It comes and goes. People’s level of excitement can vary depending upon what the incident is.

For most people, I’ve found that excitement can last anywhere from a few hours to as long as about 90 days. At some point in time, the excitement dissipates.

Let me give you a few examples to put things in perspective:

Mary is excited about the person she just started dating

Tony is excited about his new job

Mark is excited about his new diet

Chris is excited about her New Year’s resolution

Alice is excited about buying her new home

Joe is excited about his new network marketing business

In most cases, Mary loses her excitement after a few dates. She quickly discovers the person isn’t perfect. She’s dating someone new every few weeks, but never dates any one person very long. She’s never been in a long-term relationship.

Tony seems to switch jobs every few months. He always finds a problem with his co-workers, the hours, his boss, the commute, the retirement plan, or something else. He starts out excited about every new job, but is never satisfied with what he finds.

Mark starts a new diet every month. For the first two or three days he starts out really pumped up, but he always “cheats” on his diet and reverts back to his old ways, typically within a few days. When he occasionally makes it one or two weeks with one diet, he gets frustrated because he only lost one pound, so he stops.

Chris sets a New Year’s resolution every January 1st. Starting the last week of December she gets really excited about her resolution. She prepares for it and gets all pumped up. Sadly, by the end of the first week in January, she has “cheated” on her resolution several times already and decides the resolution is impossible.

Alice has always wanted to buy a new home. She’s come close several times in the past few years, but she just can’t seem to find that perfect home. She always ends up backing out at the last minute, fearing that she will make a mistake.

Joe has been in network marketing for ten years. During that time he has been with fifteen different companies. He is always looking for that perfect company. Every time he joins a new company he starts out really excited, but within 90 days or so he quits the business, off to the next ground floor opportunity.

Can you relate to any of these examples? I know I can. At different times in my life I had issues with commitment myself.

Just remember, excitement will not last forever.

My Thoughts on Commitment

Commitment is something much different than excitement. It is sticking with something long after the initial excitement has faded.

To succeed in life, in any relationship or business, you need to be committed. You see, nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Nothing worth accomplishing is fast, free or easy. Good things require hard work, time, and sacrifice.

The top earners in every company in our industry are very committed to what they do. They are loyal to their upline and company. They are committed to working the business an hour or two every single day minimum, no excuses.

In our throwaway society, you will discover that most people struggle with commitment. Most people quit their marriage when it gets tough. They quit their diet after a few weeks, or even a few days. Most people stop going to the gym after a few weeks. Most people quit their New Year’s resolution in less than a week.

I could go on and on here, but most people are quitters. I’m not saying they are bad people. I’m just saying that most people don’t have sticking power.

However, successful people in every endeavor are very committed to what they do. People with strong marriages are really committed to their marriage and spouse. People who get in shape and stay in shape are committed to eating healthy and exercising regularly. People who build a successful business of any kind are very committed to their enterprise.

If you want to succeed in our great industry, you must commit!

What You Need to Do In Network Marketing to Succeed

Here’s what you need to do to be successful in network marketing. First off, you need to get excited about you and your own future. Once you do that, you need to pick ONE company and make a minimum FIVE YEAR commitment to it. It’s going to take at least that long to become successful.

Next, you need to make a commitment to work your business minimum 1-2 hours per day, minimum five days per week and preferably six days a week. During that time you need to focus 90% of your time and energy on the money producing activities.

Finally, you must persist and follow through UNTIL you become successful. Realize that things won’t ever go exactly as planned. Be flexible, but stay the course. Work your business even when you don’t feel like it.

Final Thoughts

In summary, commitment and excitement are two totally different things. Excitement is a temporary feeling, a temporary high that does not last. Commitment, on the other hand, is sticking with something long after the initial excitement has faded.

To succeed in network marketing, you must be committed to your company and your business. It helps to be excited as well, but commitment is much more important. Few people have the commitment it takes to become successful and that’s why so few people ever achieve success in our industry.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.

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4 thoughts on “Commitment vs. Excitement in Network Marketing”

R.G. Westerman

3 years ago

Excitement must be tempered with the commitment to follow through, even when one does not feel like doing so. There is a difference between believing passionately about one’s product/ service, but that must be tempered with a long term perspective. Good points about persistence and follow through also. Excellent post!

I have learned to keep my excitement to a minimum, because I have learned over these many years that when I get super excited I will get let down very quickly, but if I keep an even keel, it is easier to take the good with the bad.

You are right that commitment is a whole different thing than excitement. I have been committed to many things that I never have had excitement for. As a freelance writer, I sometimes get jobs that are boring or not my cup of tea (I remember having to write web content for a site about bowling balls which was not my idea of exciting{ I can’t stand bowling}), but I have to pay bills so I commit and that is what counts. It is also what our reputation is built from.

What would I rather have in a prospect, excitement or commitment? I will take the commitment all day long!

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